


The Truth

by chainsawdog



Series: Smut Collection [2]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Deepthroating, Force Choking, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2016-04-05
Packaged: 2018-05-31 10:47:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 12,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6467245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chainsawdog/pseuds/chainsawdog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set after "Crisis on Naboo" </p><p>Going undercover to stop the Separatists from kidnapping Chancellor Palpatine meant Obi-Wan Kenobi had to die. Taking the face of a hardened killer, Rako Hardeen, Obi-Wan successfully infiltrated the gang, winning over the bounty hunter Cad Bane and criminal genius Moralo Eval.<br/>With the help of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan managed to stop the Separatist plot, but lost Anakin’s trust in him. Anakin is at breaking point, unable to trust the Jedi, and unable to trust Obi-Wan.<br/>Now, Obi-Wan seeks to sort things out with Anakin, but Anakin is reluctant to open up to him.</p><p>The sexual content in this story is solely between Obi-Wan and Anakin, and appears in chapter 13.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_If I'd known what was going on, I could have helped you. Too bad the Council didn't trust me._  
  
_Anakin, it was my decision to keep the truth from you. I knew if you were convinced I was dead, Dooku would believe it as well. ___  
  
_Your decision?_  
__  
_Look, I know I did some questionable things, but I did what I had to do. I hope you can understand that._  
__  
_You lied to me! How many other lies have I been told by the Council? And how do you know that you even have the whole truth?_  
  
  
  


Anakin had been angry for days. Nearly a week, by his count, although it was hard to know. Currently, he was pacing his quarters in the Jedi cruiser that was taking them back to Coruscant from Naboo.  
  
Despite travelling with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, Anakin had spent most of his time on the trip back alone. Padmé was travelling with the Naboo contingent, and Anakin knew that even if they had been travelling together, they would have had to pretend. They were always pretending. It didn’t help his mood, thinking about that.  
  
Even the Chancellor hadn’t been able to convince Anakin to come out of his quarters. If it wasn’t for the fact that Obi-Wan shared those quarters, Anakin would have completely isolated himself.  
  
He’d been pacing for a while. He wasn’t sure how long. Other than angry, he hadn’t felt anything – not hungry, not sad, not happy. Not even tired, really, he’d only slept about three hours at most every time he tried. Obi-Wan had commented on how restless Anakin was, but he hadn't tried to help – and Anakin knew he was partly to responsible. He’d snapped at Obi-Wan at least four times, and they'd only been travelling for two rotations.  
  
He’d tried to settle himself three times already since Obi-Wan had left their room. He’d tried meditating, he’d tried exercising, he’d tried distracting himself. Nothing had worked, and he only felt more agitated.  
  
He wanted to scream, but if he screamed, someone would check on him and ask why he was screaming.  
  
He sat down on his bunk and put his head in his hands.


	2. Chapter 2

Anakin must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, the door to his quarters was sliding open with a quiet mechanical whirr. He looked up from where he was sitting, and saw Obi-Wan trying to slip into the room without him noticing. Their eyes met, and Obi-Wan looked away.  
  
“What?” Anakin heard the anger in his voice, but he didn’t care. He stood up quickly, noticing how Obi-Wan flinched back, and his stomach sank. Was Obi-Wan _afraid ___of him? He checked their Force-bond but couldn’t see anything past his own anger.  
  
Obi-Wan met his eyes levelly, betraying no emotion in his face. He was so unlike Anakin in so many ways, and sometimes it was so hard to read him. “I’m going to bed, if that’s okay,” it was hard not to miss the sarcasm in his tone.  
  
“Of course it is,” Anakin muttered. Turning his back on Obi-Wan, he added, “As long as you’re telling the truth.”  
  
“Anakin,” the words hung between them, and in his head Anakin could hear himself shouting at Obi-Wan. He took a deep breath, and turned to face Obi-Wan.  
  
“You lied to me about –”  
  
“I know,” Obi-Wan interrupted, and once more Anakin had to check his anger. He felt like an explosion was building inside of him. “I had to.”  
  
“Had to?” Anakin’s voice was low and dangerous, as he struggled to control himself. He didn’t want to shout, didn’t want other people to hear him. “You _had ___to leave me and Ahsoka in the dark? You –”  
  
“Anakin,” Obi-Wan’s voice was calm, and somehow that was more infuriating than if he’d yelled. “Yes, I had to. If Dooku hadn’t believed –”  
  
“Then you wouldn’t have been able to save the Chancellor,” Anakin closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, clenched his hands. They were shaking, and he crossed his arms so Obi-Wan couldn’t see. “Yeah, you mentioned.”  
  
Obi-Wan sat down on his bed, but Anakin remained standing.  
  
“I thought you’d died, Obi-Wan,” Anakin said, heart in his throat. He was trying not to cry, but only because if he did start he wouldn’t be able to speak. “Do you understand what that means? I thought I’d lost you. _Forever ___. Don’t you know what you – how would you feel if –” He could feel whatever weak control he had wavering. “I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!”  
  
He’d shouted.  
  
He sat down abruptly, the bed shaking a little under the force of his movement, and he hugged himself. “Obi-Wan,” he said, his voice cracking. “I thought you were dead.”  
  
Obi-Wan watched him, his face betraying no emotion. “That _was ___the point,” he said, hesitantly.  
  
“Ahsoka found your body,” Anakin was crying now, speaking as best he could through the tears. “You didn’t see her face, Obi-Wan. You didn’t…” he could almost see Ahsoka as she turned to him, her blue eyes wide and wet with tears.  
  
“She handled it like a Jedi,” Obi-Wan said quietly. “She –”  
  
“Didn’t have to find your body, Obi-Wan,” Anakin snapped. “How could you do that to her? You know she looks up to you, you know she cares about you, you know –”  
  
Obi-Wan looked away, and said, “She let me go, Anakin. Like she was supposed to.”  
  
Anakin glared at him.  
  
“Anakin, I don’t know how many times I have to say this, but it was _necessary ___.” Obi-Wan still wouldn’t meet his eyes, and Anakin could feel nothing through their Force-bond. “If you had known I was still alive, then we would have failed –”  
  
“We nearly failed anyway!” Anakin raised his voice, trying to hold himself together by squeezing his arms around himself. “If you hadn’t gone back, if you hadn’t had doubts, the Chancellor would have died anyway! There were other ways you could have done this, Obi-Wan!” He was weeping, his tears flowing freely, unable to stop himself from feeling so intensely overwhelmed. He curled his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them, resting his forehead on his knees. Then he let himself cry, as he hadn’t at Obi-Wan’s ‘funeral,’ as he hadn’t after he and Ahsoka had found Obi-Wan’s ‘corpse.’  
  
To his surprise, he felt the bed sink beside him as someone sat next to him, and felt a hand touch his back . He was crying too hard to stop, but the hand stayed there while he sobbed, until his eyes burned and his nose was so blocked he couldn’t breathe. He took gasping breaths as the sobs wracked his body.  
  
His sleeves were wet and covered in snot when he finally managed to raise his head, and take a shaking breath big enough to help him feel slightly more centred. He wiped his face with his sleeve, and looked to his left, where Obi-Wan sat, looking a little uncomfortable, but his hand was still on Anakin’s back, and he was sitting close, and he didn’t move away as Anakin looked at him.  
  
“You didn’t have to,” he said quietly. “You could have just left, if you’d wanted to.”  
  
“I didn’t want to,” Obi-Wan didn’t hesitate to answer. “I didn’t want to leave you. I had no idea, Anakin, believe me, I didn’t realise –”  
  
“Please,” Anakin said. Crying had left him tired, his body and mind struggling to move at any pace. “Don’t lie to me. You knew. You knew exactly how your death would affect me, and you went ahead with your plan anyway.”  
  
Obi-Wan remained silent, and Anakin took it as an agreement.  
  
“I’m going to sleep,” he said, pulling away from Obi-Wan’s touch. He lay down in his bed, turning to face the wall, and listened as Obi-Wan sighed, stood, and walked over to his own bed.  
  
He didn’t sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Anakin’s heart ached for Padmé and her apartments, but she wasn’t yet back from Naboo and he'd had to confine himself to the Temple. She would be back on Coruscant soon, but he still missed her constantly, a dull ache that sharpened when he was near her, knowing that their time together was only so long. He missed the feel of her gentle hands on his face, of her soft lips against his. He missed the smell of her perfume – flowers from Naboo, that reminded him of where they’d wed. He missed the sound of her voice, the way she would laugh at his jokes, and listen to his stories – most of the time. Sometimes, Padmé reminded him of Obi-Wan, choosing duty over everything else. Sometimes he worried that she cared more about her work than she did about him.  
  
To Anakin, the people he loved were everything.  
  
There was nowhere in the Temple he could go where he wouldn’t find other Jedi. Younglings and Padawans looked at him in mingled awe and fear as he walked past. Knights watched him, Masters nodded at him in greeting. He was the Hero With No Fear. He was the Chosen One. He was apart from them all.  
  
None of them were his friends, except for Ahsoka, and the clones in his battalion trusted him more than the Jedi Council did. Of course, he trusted the clones more than he trusted the Council. As far as he knew, he’d done nothing to earn the Council’s distrust. Like so many things in Anakin Skywalker’s life, it didn’t seem fair and it barely made sense.  
  
He stalked through the halls of the Jedi Temple, wandering aimlessly, feeling like a storm cloud on a bright day. He passed Aayla Secura, who was walking with Kit Fisto, who raised a hand in greeting. He heard them whisper something as he passed, and he knew they were talking about him.  
  
He passed Luminara Unduli’s Padawan, Barriss Offee, her nose in a book as she walked through the hallways, and she didn’t even notice him. Anakin liked Barriss – she made Ahsoka happy, which was important, and she didn’t seem to worship him like some of the other Padawans. She also didn’t seem to fear him, or hate him, which was nice. He hadn’t spoken to her much, but she seemed level-headed.  
  
Anakin found himself in the kitchen, where he’d found himself more than once as a child. It wasn’t just that the cooks in the Temple seemed predisposed to want to feed Younglings, but there were floor-to-roof pantries with automatic doors that a Youngling could slip through without being noticed. The pantries themselves were large enough that he had been able to hide in them until Obi-Wan had told him he was too old to be hiding in pantries anymore. He’d been about seventeen, then, if he remembered correctly.  
  
Anakin still had the urge to hide in those cupboards. As he walked through the doorway to the kitchens, he halted, realising what had brought him here. He was a grown man. A Jedi Knight. A warrior, and a mentor, and a hero. Heroes didn’t hide in cupboards when they were upset.  
  
To excuse his passage through the kitchens, he accepted a small pie from one of the cooks and went on his way.


	4. Chapter 4

“I was looking for you, Master.”  
  
Ahsoka hurried to match Anakin’s step. He’d felt her approach, and he slowed down so she could catch up. He was still walking aimlessly, but he thought it would be nice, maybe, to have company.  
  
“Hey Snips,” he said, smiling at her.  
  
She looked up at him, frowning. “Master Kenobi’s looking for you too, you know. He says he wants to talk to you.”  
  
Anakin looked away. “I don’t want to talk to him.”  
  
Ahsoka put her hand on his arm, and he stopped, looking back down at his Padawan. She looked at him closely, her eyes narrowed, and she said, “Anakin… what’s wrong?”  
  
Anakin shook his head. “It’s nothing, Ahsoka, don’t worry,” he said.  
  
“No, it’s not nothing,” she replied, forcefully. “You’ve not been the same since… well, since Master Kenobi faked his death. You know you can talk to someone about it, right? You could talk to me…”  
  
“Ahsoka, really,” Anakin said. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”  
  
Ahsoka crossed her arms and pulled a face at him. “I know you’re not, Master. But if you’re not gonna talk to me then I guess I’ll have to tell Master Kenobi where to find you.”  
  
“I _really ___don’t want to talk to him, Ahsoka,” Anakin said, trying to keep his voice steady.  
  
“Then talk to me, Anakin,” her voice was soft. He could sense her worry for him, her fear. If the Jedi weren’t supposed to form attachments, then both he and Ahsoka had failed. She cared about him, and he cared about her. Even if the Jedi weren’t Anakin’s family, Ahsoka was. She was like a sister to him, one of his closest friends.  
  
“I… I don’t think I should,” Anakin said, looking at the ground. “Ahsoka, you’re my Padawan. I’m supposed to take care of you. You shouldn’t have to do the same for me.”  
  
Ahsoka smiled at that, and punched him on the arm. “Don’t be stupid, Skyguy,” she said. “We take care of each other. We’re a team, right?”  
  
He looked up and smiled at her. “We are,” he said. “You’re… you’re a good friend, Snips. I’m glad that Yoda assigned you as my Padawan.”  
  
“Even though you never wanted a Padawan in the first place,” Ahsoka said, rolling her eyes. Then her face fell a little, and she sighed. “Look, Anakin, I really think you should talk to Master Kenobi. Whatever’s going on between you two… you need to try and talk through it.” She tried for a smile, but it fell short. “I don’t want to have to share a ship with the two of you if you’re fighting.”  
  
Anakin looked at her for a moment, then said, “Fine.” He crossed his arms and she smiled brightly. “Where is he?”


	5. Chapter 5

Anakin found Obi-Wan waiting for him in the meditation gardens. He was sitting by the side of the crystalline lake, legs crossed, hands on his knees, his eyes shut. He opened them to look at Anakin as he approached, but stayed seated. Anakin stood next to him, hands in his sleeves, looking down at Obi-Wan.  
  
“You wanted to talk to me?” he was aware of the stiffness in his voice.  
  
“Are you going to stand the whole time?” Obi-Wan’s voice was light, indifferent, but Anakin could see his shoulders were tense, and feel the stress in their Force-bond. Anakin relented, aware that now was not the time to be stubborn, and sat next to Obi-Wan.  
  
They sat in silence for a moment, Anakin fidgeting a little, until he said, “Well?”  
  
“I’ve been thinking. About what you said.”  
  
Anakin huffed. “Which part?”  
  
“All of it,” Obi-Wan spoke slowly, not looking at Anakin, but into the clear waters of the lake. Anakin felt the wind stir slightly, rustling the leaves of the trees around them. They were almost completely alone in this part of the garden, although there were other Jedi there, Obi-Wan had chosen a secluded place. Anakin couldn’t even see the other Jedi from where they sat.  
  
“The… how my death seems to have affected you, mostly. You… well, you reacted in a way no other Jedi would have. As I knew you would.”  
  
Anakin clenched his teeth, and refrained from speaking. He could feel rage bubbling inside of him, but Obi-Wan had never spoken to him so frankly. Not that he could remember. So he took a deep breath in, and let Obi-Wan speak.  
  
“I’ll admit I… didn’t put much thought into _why ___you would react that way,” he said, pausing between his words a little. “I’ve been thinking… about how I would feel if… well, if I lost you.”  
  
Anakin looked at him out of the corner of his eye, unsure of if he was supposed to speak. Obi-Wan had closed his eyes, and his mouth was a taut line, a muscle in his jaw standing out with the tension.  
  
He held his silence for a long time, and Anakin was getting twitchy by the time he spoke again.  
  
“I don’t think I could stand it if I lost you.”  
  
Anakin’s heart leapt into his throat, and he had to look away, moving his gaze to the water. Part of him wanted to cry. Part of him wanted to throw himself on Obi-Wan. Part of him wanted to yell at Obi-Wan, to ask him why he’d never said that before, to hit him until he felt better, or until Obi-Wan apologised.  
  
But he didn’t speak. Didn’t move. He just waited for Obi-Wan to talk.  
  
“I didn’t want to admit, Anakin, that I’ve grown so attached to you. It goes against everything I know… everything the Order taught me. I have to be able to let go of you, and I haven’t even been able to…” Anakin heard rather than saw Obi-Wan shift the way he was sitting, so he faced Anakin, legs folded beneath him. “Anakin, most Jedi Masters, once their Padawans become Knights, they go separate ways. We didn’t. We’ve become, in the eyes of the Republic, inseparable.”  
  
Anakin turned his head to look at Obi-Wan, but couldn’t meet his eyes.  
  
“Other Masters have spoken to me about this,” Obi-Wan said gently. “Master Yoda especially. They say that I have a blind spot when it comes to you.” He sighed. “I do.”  
  
Anakin’s heart was racing, and he looked Obi-Wan in the eyes, terrified of whatever conclusion Obi-Wan had come to.  
  
“The best thing to do, objectively, would be for us to… for us to part.”  
  
Anakin took a sharp breath in, his hands shaking, tears in his eyes. His throat and his chest felt tight, and he struggled to breathe.  
  
Obi-Wan reached out, and put his hand on Anakin’s living hand. His skin was so warm and soft, unlike Anakin’s calloused, mechanic’s hands. Obi-Wan wrapped his fingers around Anakin’s, his fingertips touching Anakin’s palm, and squeezed. The sensation sent a shiver up Anakin’s arm, and he closed his eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks. “Please,” he said softly. “Don’t leave me.”  
  
“Anakin,” Obi-Wan put his other hand on Anakin’s cheek, and Anakin leaned his head into the touch reflexively. With his thumb, Obi-Wan wiped away a tear, a gentle movement that made Anakin want to cry even more. “I’m not leaving you. I said objectively, that’s what the Jedi would expect, that’s what most Jedi would do. But you… you’re a different case, Anakin. I’ve never really thought about it before. You came to the Temple far later than I did, far later than any Jedi, and there’s no way I can know what that was like for you.”  
  
“Awful,” Anakin’s voice was rough, and he was crying again. “I was so afraid, and in the way, and then Qui-Gon died and I thought for so long that you hated me because I wanted to leave and because I wasn’t him and because… because…”  
  
“Anakin,” Obi-Wan’s eyes were wide, but he hadn’t pulled away from Anakin. “I never hated you, not once. I’ve never hated you.”  
  
Anakin leaned forward, covering his face with his robotic hand, sobbing uncontrollably. Obi-Wan put a hand on his shoulder and leaned towards Anakin so their foreheads touched lightly. Anakin continued to cry, until his loud sobs turned to hiccupping and sniffling, and he sat back, pulling away from Obi-Wan’s touch.  
  
“I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re not leaving me, there’s nothing for me to cry about.”  
  
“You were telling me… I didn’t realise you thought that. That I hated you.”  
  
“I’m always scared of that, of losing you, of you hating me, of… so many things, Obi-Wan.” He scoffed, tossing his head to one side, and said derisively, “The Hero with No Fear and I’m afraid of so much.”  
  
Obi-Wan chuckled. “It’s easier to live up to the name they gave me,” he said with a small smile. “Negotiator. As long as I can talk my way out of things, then it fits. To have no fear… that’s a tall order, Anakin. Even I feel afraid sometimes.”  
  
Anakin looked at him, wiping his cheek with his sleeve, and raised an eyebrow. “You?” he grinned a little, sniffing. “That sounds like a lie, Obi-Wan.”  
  
Obi-Wan smiled back, sitting on his haunches, and said, “That’s not all I wanted to say, though. Are you okay if I keep talking?”  
  
Anakin nodded, and sat with his knees pulled to his chest, his arms wrapped around his legs. He felt safer, sitting this way, more comfortable. Curled in a ball, he could pretend nothing could hurt him.  
  
“When Qui-Gon found you, he was so _adamant_ that you were the Chosen One and he was going to train you. You were nine years old, and I… I was _jealous_ of you. Jealous of a nine year old.” Obi-Wan scoffed at his own pettiness.  
  
Anakin shook his head. “I just thought you didn’t like me because the Council didn’t like me. And you said I was dangerous.”  
  
“You heard that?” Obi-Wan stopped smiling, and looked away. “I’m sorry. As I said, I was jealous, that Qui-Gon was thinking of taking another Padawan… I know I was ready to become a Knight, but it felt like he was, well, trying to get rid of me. That you were more important than me.” He looked at Anakin again, Obi-Wan’s grey-blue eyes searching Anakin’s own.  
  
“I… didn’t realise,” said Anakin. “I’m sorry.”  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head. “It’s not your fault. You were a child. There’s no way I can understand what you were going through, Anakin. I don’t remember my mother, but you had nine years with yours, and… well, I don’t know what it’s like to be a slave. Not really.”  
  
“You couldn’t,” Anakin said softly. “It’s not something you can imagine, Obi-Wan. And Mom…” he looked away from Obi-Wan. “I miss her every day, Obi-Wan.” Anakin’s voice cracked as he spoke, and he could feel another round of tears threatening him.  
  
Obi-Wan stayed still, watching Anakin carefully.  
  
“She’s dead and I couldn’t save her,” Anakin tried to say the words aggressively, spitting them out so that he didn’t have time to cry.  
  
“Oh, Anakin,” Obi-Wan’s voice was quiet, passive, and he looked at Anakin with sadness in his eyes, not pity or anger. Anakin threw himself forward. Obi-Wan caught him in a hug, and he wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan, desperate to be held, and broke down again into tears that shook his whole body. Obi-Wan stroked Anakin’s hair, not seeming to mind that Anakin was crying onto his clothes.  
  
“I’m the reason she died,” Anakin managed to say. “I could have saved her. I was having those dreams, Obi-Wan, she was in trouble and I could have saved her but I didn’t, I didn’t, and she died and it’s all my fault.”  
  
Obi-Wan held him tightly, and told him it wasn’t his fault, that people died, that it was okay, but his words were white noise in Anakin’s ears.  
  
“I thought they were just dreams, too, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said quietly. “I didn’t realise they were more than that. When… when did this happen? Not the last time you were on Tatooine, surely?”  
  
Anakin shook his head, still leaning against Obi-Wan as he answered. “No, no,” he said. He was trembling, breathing in short gasps as he tried to speak. “No. She died when Padmé and I went. I went to find her, when I was supposed to be guarding Padmé, I went to find Mom and she’d been… she’d been taken by Tusken Raiders and…” he shuddered, and gripped Obi-Wan tightly, so hard that Obi-Wan struggled to breathe.  
  
“Anakin, please let go of me,” he said. Anakin pulled back, a confused look on his face, and Obi-Wan took a deep breath in. “You were crushing my ribs,” he explained.  
  
“Oh,” said Anakin. He pulled a face, wrinkling his nose and frowning. “Sorry.”  
  
Obi-Wan shifted from side to side, and crossed his legs again, facing Anakin. Almost hesitantly, he held out his arms. Anakin moved closer, cuddling up to Obi-Wan and resting his head on his shoulder. Obi-Wan put his arm around Anakin’s shoulders, and Anakin sighed. “They killed her. The Raiders,” he said, and now he sounded completely disconnected from himself, his speech droid-like. “Tortured her. She died in my arms, and so I killed them. All of them.”  
  
Obi-Wan said nothing. Anakin could sense something from him - their Force-bond was so strong that sometimes it was hard to tell who was feeling what - but Obi-Wan was more skilled at hiding his emotions than Anakin. Fear? He didn’t seem angry, but with Obi-Wan his anger was more internalised than Anakin’s. Disappointment, probably, which was common. At that moment, however, Anakin couldn’t bring himself to care.  
  
He kept talking. “I killed them all for hurting her. For killing her. I hated them all so much, Obi-Wan. I wanted to make them suffer for what they’d done. And I hated you, then. I thought… I don’t know what I thought. That you didn’t want me to succeed. As a Jedi. I blamed you because I wasn’t able to save Mom.”  
  
Obi-Wan still didn’t respond, but he was squeezing Anakin’s shoulder. Anakin wasn’t sure if it was meant to be reassuring, or had something to do with the emotions Obi-Wan was incapable of expressing.  
  
“I knew you wouldn’t understand,” Anakin said quietly. “I’m so angry, all the time, and so afraid, and you… you’re _perfect ___all the time, the perfect Jedi.” He scowled. “You never question the Council, never mess up like I do –”  
  
“I’m not perfect,” Obi-Wan interrupted.  
  
Anakin turned his head to look up at Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan looked at Anakin, their faces close enough that Anakin could see the fine lines on Obi-Wan’s forehead. Sometimes he forgot how much older Obi-Wan was. How much he’d been through.  
  
Obi-Wan cast his eyes down, not looking at Anakin. “I’ve made mistakes, to begin with,” he laughed, but it was humourless. “Of course I have. I made many when I was a Padawan. Not only that, but I constantly doubted my own abilities to… to teach you, Anakin.”  
  
Anakin raised his eyebrows, but kept silent.  
  
“I… I don’t think I’ve taught you as well as Qui-Con could have,” Obi-Wan continued. “I don’t think that I’m good enough to have been your Master. You’re the Chosen One, if the prophecy and… and Qui-Gon are to be… believed,” he closed his eyes, and took a deep breath in before looking at Anakin once more. “How could I be capable of training someone so important?”  
  
Anakin laughed, and wiped a tear from his cheek. “I had no idea,” he said. “I… you never… I always thought you were so perfect, so in control, so confident. Obi-Wan, I practically worshipped you when I was a kid.”  
  
Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You… worshipped me?”  
  
Anakin looked up into Obi-Wan’s eyes, trying not to stare, trying not to think of all the things he wanted to do. “Don’t flatter yourself, old man,” he said, but his breath caught in his throat and the insult didn’t carry any weight. He licked his lips, and saw Obi-Wan draw back. It was a miniscule movement, but it was enough to make Anakin pull away entirely. His heart was racing, and he could feel his face growing hot. He coughed, sitting back and looking at the water.  
  
“Anakin,” Obi-Wan spoke gently. “I’m so sorry.”  
  
“What for?”  
  
“For failing you so often,” he replied. Anakin glanced at him side-on, and saw that there were tears on Obi-Wan’s cheeks. “And lying to you. I didn’t realise… how much I’d hurt you. I thought, if I did everything right, you would be… well, you’d be able to be the Chosen One. Like Qui-Gon wanted. To bring balance to the Force.”  
  
“What does that even mean?” Anakin muttered.  
  
Obi-Wan didn’t answer, but stood up, stretching out his legs as he did so. He offered his hand to Anakin, and helped him to his feet, and said, “I don’t know.”  
  
“Where are we going?”  
  
Obi-Wan shrugged. “I thought we could walk for a bit, while we talk. My legs are going numb.”  
  
They walked through the garden, side by side in silence until Anakin asked, “Do you think anyone knows what the prophecy means?”  
  
Obi-Wan looked at him, and said, “I’ve never even read it.”  
  
“Is it in the archives?”  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head. “Not that I could find. Only references. About a Jedi destined to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force. Before meeting Maul on Naboo, before Dooku… we thought the Sith destroyed.”  
  
“So… does Yoda know what the prophecy says?”  
  
“I’ve never asked him,” said Obi-Wan. “We all know about it, every Jedi, but… now that I think about it, I’ve never actually heard it. Qui-Gon seemed to believe in it but… I can’t say if he actually knew what it said.”  
  
Anakin stopped in his tracks, and looked Obi-Wan directly in the eyes. “So, you’re telling me,” he said, aware that he was speaking too loudly, “That my entire life, my entire existence in the Jedi Order, the only reason Qui-Gon took me from Tatooine in the first place, that’s all based on a prophecy that no one has ever seen?”  
  
“When you say it like that…” Obi-Wan muttered.  
  
“This is ridiculous!” Anakin cried. “Half the time Yoda and Mace tell me that I’m the Chosen One, half the time they tell me they don’t believe I am, and I know they don’t trust me, and it might all just be – what? Made up? Wrong? My whole reason for being here isn’t even recorded in the archives! What convinced anyone to believe this… this… Bantha fodder?”  
  
“Anakin –” the tone in Obi-Wan’s voice was cautionary, and Anakin was well aware he was drawing looks from the few Jedi nearby.  
  
“No, Obi-Wan, no! This is just another lie, isn’t it? This prophecy shit! The Jedi don’t want me in the Order, you – well, you say you want me around,” his voice lowered. “But I feel like you don’t. The only people I feel actually… actually care, all the time, are Ahsoka, Padmé, and the Chancellor.”  
  
“Padmé?” Obi-Wan knew that Anakin trusted Ahsoka implicitly, and he knew that Palpatine had… been interested in Anakin since he was a child, and, honestly, Obi-Wan had suspicions about Anakin and Padmé’s relationship. If he didn’t take the chance to ask questions, now, when Anakin was being so honest, maybe Anakin would never tell him the truth.  
  
“Yeah, Padmé,” Anakin shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. “What about her?”  
  
“Why do you trust her?”  
  
Anakin continued to stare at him, daring him to do something, anything. “Why not?”  
  
“Anakin… I…” Obi-Wan sighed, then said, “I know you have feelings for the Senator…”  
  
Anakin’s laughter was bitter, and he said, “ _Feelings? ___Obi-Wan, if you know that much…”  
  
Obi-Wan gave Anakin a minute to continue, and then when he didn’t speak, Obi-Wan said, “If I know that much?”  
  
Anakin shook his head. “Never mind,” he said.  
  
“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, trying to keep his voice level. “Please. I want you to be able to talk to me.”  
  
Anakin looked at him from beneath his eyelashes. “You really, really want to know?” he asked.  
  
Obi-Wan nodded.  
  
“You won’t run off and tell Yoda?” the anger was clear in his voice.  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head. “Not… not if you don’t want me to,” he said. “Anakin, you… I want you to trust me.”  
  
Anakin pursed his lips, and looked at the ground. “It’s… it’s not my secret to tell, really,” he said. “It’s Padmé’s as well. And I want to talk with her before I tell you.”  
  
“Then I’ll come with you,” said Obi-Wan.  
  
Anakin sighed. “I guess you should.”


	6. Chapter 6

Padmé was in her office in the Senate building when Anakin and Obi-Wan arrived. She frowned as they entered the room. “Is something wrong?” she asked.  
  
“I… need to ask you something,” said Anakin. He glanced at Obi-Wan, and flapped a hand at him, indicating that Obi-Wan should leave the room. Obi-Wan sighed and rolled his eyes, but left, to wait outside the door. Anakin crossed the room to where Padmé sat, and smiled at her, leaning forward to rest his hands on the desk.  
  
She smiled up at him, and said, “What’s going on, Ani?”  
  
“I want to tell Obi-Wan about us,” he said. Her eyes widened, and he held up a hand to stop her from interrupting. “Please, hear me out. I think… I think I can tell him. I think he’s willing to listen. I think… we’ve been talking, Padmé, and… we’ve actually been _talking_.”  
  
She frowned, confused, and said, “I don’t understand.”  
  
Anakin moved behind her desk and dropped to one knee, taking one of Padmé’s hands in his. He kissed it, and then said, “Padmé, we’re talking and he’s being honest with me. He’s told me things we’ve never talked about before and I… told him about Mom. And he doesn’t hate me for it.”  
  
Padmé gently placed her hand on Anakin’s cheek, smiling. “That’s wonderful,” she said. He could tell she was still confused. “But, I don’t understand… why does that mean you have to tell him about us?”  
  
“Don’t you want him to know?” Anakin asked. “He… has suspicions, I think, he knows that I… have feelings for you,” he grinned, and kissed the palm of her hand. “I think he knows more than he’s letting on. I… I want to be honest with him, too. If we aren’t going to lie to each other, anymore… that’s what I want, Padmé. And… I want you to be part of this. Of everything I do. You know that.”  
  
“I do,” she said. “And I’m glad, Ani. But, won’t he tell the Council? You could be expelled from the Order.”  
  
“He said he wouldn’t,” Anakin said, his smile disappearing. “I have to trust him. If… if he betrays that trust then…” he sighed. “I don’t want to think about that. I… need to do this, Padmé.”  
  
She nodded.  
  
“I love you,” he added. “So much.”  
  
They both stood up together, holding hands, and Anakin called for Obi-Wan to come inside. He did, raising his eyebrows at them. “So, you’re ready to tell me?” he asked.


	7. Chapter 7

Ahsoka hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but it had happened anyway. She’d remembered that she wanted to speak to Anakin about a lightsaber technique she was learning, so she followed him to the gardens. When she’d seen Anakin and Obi-Wan were talking, she’d decided to wait for them to finish their conversation. They’d left before she could greet them, and she’d had to rush after them, now curious as to what was going on. She had followed them from the Temple, her questions for Anakin forgotten, and trailed them to the Senate building.  
  
Ahsoka rounded a corner and immediately backtracked, having seen Obi-Wan standing, arms crossed, outside Senator Amidala’s office. Peering around the corner, she tried to see what he was doing, but he just seemed to be standing there. She watched, as he lifted his head, and entered the office. Taking her chance, Ahsoka crept to the doorway, which had slid shut behind Obi-Wan. She didn’t need to press her montrals to the door or the wall to listen, but it took her a moment to focus her hearing.  
  
“… married,” she heard Anakin say. A few seconds later, she heard Obi-Wan repeat the word.  
  
Ahsoka frowned.  
  
“Yes, married,” she heard Padmé say. “We wed on Naboo, about two years ago.”  
  
Ahsoka could sense some of Anakin’s emotions; excitement, tinged with apprehension. She wondered who had married Padmé, although she was pretty sure she knew. She’d seen certain signs of affection between her Master and the Senator before, but ignored it, as Obi-Wan had ignored it.  
  
“So, what you’re saying to me…” Obi-Wan spoke slowly, evenly. “Is that you, Anakin, and you, Senator Amidala, married in secret on Naboo.”  
  
Ahsoka bit her lip, smiling, and tried to keep her emotions quiet.  
  
“Yes,” said Anakin.  
  
“After the battle on Geonosis?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
There was a silence. Then, “Ahsoka?”  
  
She jumped. The door slid open, and she tried not to look guilty as Obi-Wan turned to face her, Anakin looking at her with a smirk and crossed arms, Padmé smiling kindly at her, amused.  
  
“I thought that was you out there,” said Anakin.  
  
Ahsoka hung her head, grinning, as she walked into the room.  
  
“I can see your smile,” said Padmé. “What were you doing out there?”  
  
“She was eavesdropping. Weren’t you?” Obi-Wan was the only person in the room who managed to sound disappointed.  
  
“Oh, come on, Obi-Wan,” said Anakin. “Are you surprised?”  
  
“Hey!” Ahsoka looked at Anakin, frowning. “I needed to talk to you, Skyguy.”  
  
“Oh yeah? What about?”  
  
Ahsoka grinned at him, “Well, I can’t remember now, can I? After hearing such an important announcement.”  
  
“So you _were_ eavesdropping,” Obi-Wan said dryly.  
  
Ahsoka shrugged, with a smile, and said, “Maybe a little.” Looking between Anakin and Padmé, she asked, “When were you planning on telling me?”  
  
Anakin looked at his wife, then back to Ahsoka. “Um…” he said. “Probably never?”  
  
“But you’re telling Obi-Wan!”  
  
“Yes, well,” Anakin started, but he didn’t have anything to follow it up with. Ahsoka raised her brows as she noticed that her Master was blushing.  
  
Her grin grew wider. “Skyguy…” she let the word hang in the air, enjoying how uncomfortable both Obi-Wan and Anakin looked. Padmé, as always, seemed to be taking things in stride.  
  
“How about we continue this discussion this over lunch?” Padmé interjected. She offered Ahsoka her arm, and Ahsoka linked hers with Padmé’s. They walked off together confidently, both of them knowing that the two men would follow.


	8. Chapter 8

Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin, who smiled. With a shrug of his shoulder, Anakin followed Padmé and Ahsoka. A moment later, Obi-Wan hurried after him. Matching Anakin’s stride, Obi-Wan looked at him and said, “This is not going as planned, is it?”  
  
Anakin shook his head. “But it’s not going badly,” he replied. Then he stopped, and took hold of Obi-Wan’s arm. “Is it?”  
  
Obi-Wan looked up at him, at the earnestness in Anakin’s face, and said, “What do you mean?”  
  
“You’re not upset with me, are you?”  
  
“Of… of course not,” said Obi-Wan. He frowned. “Why would I be? I wanted you to be honest with me, and that you told me this shows that you trust me.”  
  
Anakin’s mouth twisted as he frowned. “And you trust me?” he asked. “You’re going to be honest with me from now on?”  
  
Obi-Wan nodded without hesitation. Anakin’s heart soared, and on an impulse he took Obi-Wan’s face in his hands and kissed him square on the lips.  
  
They sprang apart.  
  
“Uh,” said Anakin.  
  
“Yes,” said Obi-Wan.  
  
They both turned to hurry after Padmé and Ahsoka, faces red.


	9. Chapter 9

Padmé and Ahsoka reached the restaurant first, and they waited for Anakin and Obi-Wan to catch up before being seated. Ahsoka raised an eyebrow at them as they arrived, but neither of them would look at her, Anakin catching Padmé in his arms and planting a kiss on her cheek. She laughed, and pushed him away. “Not in public, Anakin!”  
  
Lucky for the both of them, no one had seen, and when the waiter came to seat them, Anakin and Padmé were standing a respectful distance apart. As they followed Obi-Wan and Padmé inside, Ahsoka punched Anakin on the arm, and said, “What’s going on, Skyguy?”  
  
Anakin sighed. “I honestly haven’t been able to keep up, Snips.”  
  
“Are you and Master Kenobi… okay?”  
  
Ahsoka had been there the entire time; from the moment Obi-Wan had ‘died’ to the moment they were reunited on Naboo. She had seen and felt the ferocity, fear and grief from Anakin, and knew exactly why he had acted in rage. It wasn’t the Jedi way, but Anakin was like no other Jedi.  
  
Anakin’s face went red as she asked the question, and he said in a thin voice, “We talked things out.”  
  
“About… the Rako Hardeen thing, yeah?”  
  
Anakin nodded. He put his hand on Ahsoka’s shoulder and squeezed it. “I’m sorry, Ahsoka.”  
  
Ahsoka brushed him away, putting on a flippant air. “Oh, it’s okay,” she said. “I know that Master Kenobi doesn’t always think things through.”  
  
“Ahsoka,” Anakin paused to talk to her, letting Obi-Wan and Padmé walk ahead. Ahsoka looked up at him. “I… you can ask him to apologise.”  
  
Ahsoka set her jaw. “I don’t need him to.”  
  
“I know,” Anakin smiled. “Ahsoka, do you trust me?”  
  
Ahsoka nodded sharply. “With my life,” she answered, frowning.  
  
He pulled her into a hug, and she wrapped his arms around his waist, resting her forehead against his chest. Through her montrals she could hear the steady beat of Anakin’s heart.  
  
“It’ll take a while,” she said quietly, when they moved to join the others. Anakin looked at her in askance. “To trust Obi-Wan again,” she clarified. “But… I can do it.”  
  
“I’m proud of you, Ahsoka.”  
  
They sat down at the table with Padmé and Obi-Wan. “You two took your time,” Padmé commented.  
  
Ahsoka shrugged. “We were just talking,” she said. She looked at Obi-Wan with a knowing smile. He looked away.  
  
“So,” leaning forward, she put her chin in her hands, elbows on the table. “You and Anakin, hey?” This was directed at Padmé, who smiled.  
  
“Yes,” she said.  
  
“And how does Obi-Wan fit into this?”  
  
Obi-Wan’s face went bright red, and Anakin cleared his throat. Padmé raised an eyebrow at them, but turned her attention back to Ahsoka. “Ani wanted to tell him. I’m still not sure why.”  
  
“We talked,” said Anakin. “For a long time. And we… decided that we should be honest with one another. No more lying, not even for the Council. So, this was something I had to confess.” With a smile at Padmé, he added, “It’s something I’ve wanted to shout from the top of the Senate building for a while.”  
  
Ahsoka laughed. “I’d pay to see that,” she said.  
  
“It’s not going to happen anytime soon,” Padmé said gently. “And I doubt that’s the best way to tell people, if we do make this public.”  
  
Anakin grinned at her. Obi-Wan sat back in his chair, looking thoughtful. He looked up, into Anakin’s eyes, and said, “If the Council finds out, they may expel you from the Order.”  
  
“I know,” Anakin replied. “And Padmé could get in trouble, too. Why do you think we kept this a secret for so long?”  
  
“So it’s our secret now,” Ahsoka said, looking around the table.  
  
Anakin smiled at her. Padmé nodded. They all looked to Obi-Wan, who inclined his head slightly. “I suppose it is,” he said.


	10. Chapter 10

They walked with Padmé back to her office, said their good-byes to her – Ahsoka giving her a huge hug and telling her that she was so glad two of her favourite people could be together – and then headed back to the Temple.  
  
Ahsoka peppered Anakin with questions as they flew through the Coruscant sky, asking what their wedding had been like, when they had held it, why they hadn’t told Obi-Wan before. She asked, too, if she could tell Captain Rex, but Anakin had to say no to that. He trusted the Captain, but the less people who knew, the better.  
  
“Did you ever want a wedding with your friends and family there?” Ahsoka asked, as they pulled up to the Temple.  
  
Anakin stiffened, looking away from Ahsoka. He landed the speeder silently.  
  
Ahsoka put her face in her hands. “Oh, that was a dumb question,” she said. “Sorry, Anakin – I mean, Master. I didn’t think.”  
  
Anakin took a deep breath in, then let it out slowly. “You didn’t know,” he said. “You… don’t know. I don’t… I don’t have any family left. And friends…” he looked at Ahsoka. “Well, you, Rex, and Obi-Wan are the closest things I have to friends.” His mouth twitched a little, and then he added, “I guess Artoo and Threepio, too.”  
  
“You don’t have family left?” Ahsoka asked. She clambered out of the speeder, following Anakin and Obi-Wan. The older Jedi had chosen to remain silent for the duration of their conversation. “You mean, you did?”  
  
Anakin nodded stiffly.  
  
“Because, I’d heard from other people,” Anakin didn’t miss the fact that Ahsoka glanced at Obi-Wan as she said this, “That you were a slave, growing up. You came to the Temple a lot older than I did. Why don’t we talk about that?”  
  
“Because I don’t want to,” Anakin replied.  
  
“Okay,” said Ahsoka. She was still burning with curiosity, but like anyone who knew Anakin, she knew that he couldn’t be pushed to answer things. If she’d tried, he’d have clammed up more. Like Ahsoka, he did things on his own terms.  
  
In the Temple, they parted ways, Anakin telling Ahsoka to make a note of what she’d forgotten to tell him, if she remembered. She nodded, and rushed off to find Barriss, who she’d planned on sparring with.  
  
Anakin and Obi-Wan watched her go. “Always on the move,” Obi-Wan commented.  
  
Anakin laughed. “That’s Ahsoka for you,” he said.  
  
They stood for a moment in silence, then Anakin turned to Obi-Wan. “Look,” he said, “About that kiss –”  
  
Obi-Wan held up a hand to stop Anakin from speaking, then said, “Not here.”  
  
Anakin rolled his eyes.  
  
“We can talk in our rooms,” Obi-Wan clarified.


	11. Chapter 11

When they reached their quarters, neither of them knew what to say. They stood in the sitting-room uncomfortably, unsure of where to go from where they were.  
  
“So,” Anakin said, after a few minutes of awkward silence. He looked at his feet, swaying from side to side a little. “Uh.”  
  
Obi-Wan studied the floor carefully.  
  
“Obi-Wan,” said Anakin. “It’s been a long day.”  
  
Obi-Wan nodded.  
  
“But…” Anakin looked up. “We… I need to talk about this.”  
  
Obi-Wan looked at Anakin, his expression carefully blank.  
  
“I… told you about Padmé,” he said, speaking hesitantly. “And now… I need to tell you something I’ve never told anyone. Something that I pretended wasn’t true for… a long time.”  
  
Obi-Wan tried to keep his expression neutral, to give Anakin the space to talk. When Anakin’s pause continued, he said, “Go on.”  
  
Anakin looked at him, pain in his eyes. “I… uh…” he swallowed, and looked away. Taking a deep breath, he turned his gaze back to Obi-Wan and said, “I feel the same way about you.”  
  
It took Obi-Wan a moment to realise what Anakin was saying.  
  
“As… as you do Padmé?” he asked.  
  
Anakin nodded.  
  
Obi-Wan’s stomach dropped. He crossed his arms, and turned his back on Anakin.  
  
“Obi-Wan,” Anakin reached out, then dropped his hand.  
  
“Please, Anakin,” said Obi-Wan. “Give me a moment.”  
  
Anakin stood, trying to wait patiently. Of all the things they’d spoken of that day, Anakin was sure this would be the thing that would end their friendship.  
  
“I need time to think about this,” Obi-Wan said quietly. He turned to face Anakin, and saw that Anakin’s face had fallen. He looked close to tears. “Please, Anakin,” he said. “If you care about me, you will give me time to think.”  
  
Anakin nodded. He removed himself from the room, to walk through the halls of the Temple alone. Regaining his composure was easier around people he didn’t know. So often, he’d been teased and belittled for being emotional in front of the other Padawans, that he had found a mask to wear inside the Temple. It wasn’t like the masks of the Temple Guards, not a real, solid mask, but it hid his feelings just as well. As he wandered, he realised that he should have spoken to Padmé about his feelings for Obi-Wan. He hit himself in the forehead with his palm, and then hurried back to his quarters to send a message to Padmé over the comms. Obi-Wan had vanished, and Anakin couldn’t sense him inside the room. Anakin called Padmé, who appeared as a little hologram on the comm.  
  
“Ani, what is it?” she asked. “I have to meet with the Senator of Illodia in about ten minutes.”  
  
“Uh, there was something I wanted to tell you,” Anakin said. “I’m not sure this is the best way to do it, though. Can… can I meet you at your apartments tonight?”  
  
Padmé smiled. “Of course,” she said. “Just… it’s not something bad, is it?”  
  
Anakin shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong,” he said. “I just wanted to talk with you. Alone.”  
  
“Okay, Ani,” she laughed. “I’ll see you tonight.”  
  
“Love you,” he said.  
  
“I love you too,” she replied.


	12. Chapter 12

Padmé came home to find Anakin already inside, pacing in her living room. She walked over to him, greeted him with a kiss, then said, “Is everything okay?”  
  
“I’m in love with Obi-Wan.”  
  
He said it so bluntly, so matter-of-fact, that it felt like someone had hit her in the stomach with a hammer.  
  
“What?”  
  
He looked at her, his eyes widened, and he put his hand on her cheek. “I still love you, Padmé.”  
  
She closed her eyes. “Anakin,” she said. “Why are you telling me this?”  
  
“Because,” Anakin sighed, and pulled away from her. She watched as he threw himself onto her couch. She joined him, curling up beside him like she so often had. “Because I told him.”  
  
“What… what did he say?”  
  
She didn’t want to let him see her fear. She didn’t want him to know that she had been terrified of losing him to Obi-Wan, in one way or another, for a long time.  
  
“He said, ‘Give me time to think, Anakin,’” Anakin scoffed. “And then I realised, if I was going to tell him, then I should have told you first. I should… it was dishonest of me to do that.”  
  
“So… you’re not leaving me?”  
  
Anakin looked down at her in surprise. “Why would I ever leave you, Padmé?”  
  
She smiled at him, her heart warm, and realised he had never even considered choosing Obi-Wan over her. Maybe he didn’t have to choose, she thought. She sat up, and kissed Anakin, pulling at his tunic to bring him closer.  
  
When they broke apart from the kiss, Padmé sighed. Anakin looked at her with the silliest, most charming grin on his face, and her heart stuttered. How could anything else compare to this?  
  
She grinned back at him, and kissed him again, holding his face with both her hands. He put his hands on her waist, and she smiled, breaking apart the kiss to bump her forehead against his. She draped her arms over his shoulders, and kissed him on the nose.  
  
“So,” she said. “You’re in love with Obi-Wan.”  
  
His smile shrank, and he nodded.  
  
“I am,” he said. He closed his eyes, his smile disappearing. “I can’t _believe_ I told him!”  
  
“Ani,” Padmé traced her finger along the line of his jaw, before planting a gentle kiss on his lips. “It’ll be okay. I think it will take him a while, but Obi-Wan… he does love you, Anakin. Maybe not in the same way you love him, but he does.”  
  
“How can you be so sure?”  
  
“I’ve seen the way you two work together,” Padmé sank back into the couch, resting her head on Anakin’s shoulder. “It’s almost like you’re one person. When you fight, when you talk, the way that… you’re always with him and he’s always with you.” She glanced up at him, but he was staring across the room. “I was jealous, for a while,” she said. “That he got to spend so much time with you. And we… we only got moments, stolen and secret. You and Obi-Wan, you’re up there on the HoloNet. The Negotiator and the Hero With No Fear. People expect to see you two together. You and I… when we’re together in public, you’re a Jedi. I’m a Senator. We aren’t husband and wife. We can’t be.” She sighed. While she’d been speaking, Anakin had started playing absentmindedly with her hair. It was soothing, and brought back fond memories. They sat for a moment, in that silence, before Padmé asked, “What happens next?”  
  
Anakin sighed. “I stay with you, Padmé. I will always stay with you.”  
  
She put her hand on his chest. “I know,” she said. “But you’ll always stay with him, too. Maybe… maybe that’s how it’s going to be. In the future.”  
  
Anakin looked down at her, and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”  
  
“Anakin,” Padmé smiled. “Maybe… you can be with me, _and_ Obi-Wan.”  
  
“You’d… you’d be okay with that?”  
  
“It would take some time to adjust,” she admitted. “And,” she grinned. “Maybe I could find someone to… spend time with, while you’re away.” Anakin frowned, but she knew he wasn’t upset. He was still processing the idea of being involved with two people. She picked at his tunic. “Maybe… I could get in touch with Sabé again.”  
  
He was still frowning, but his lip twitched in a brief smile. “Sabé?”  
  
“Mm-hm,” Padmé pulled a bit of lint from his clothing, and smiled up at him. “What?”  
  
“I just… had no idea,” said Anakin. “I thought your… first kiss was with a boy.”  
  
Padmé laughed. “It was,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean I don't find women attractive, Ani. Wasn’t I the first person you kissed?”  
  
He shrugged.  
  
“And…”  
  
“And I also love Obi-Wan. Okay, Padmé, I get it.” He grinned. “I guess whatever happens next is up to Obi-Wan.”  
  
Padmé nodded. “But,” she said, “I might still call Sabé.”  
  
Anakin laughed, and stood up from the couch. Holding out a hand, he helped Padmé to her feet, then put his arms around her waist and lifted her in a circle, gently putting her down on the floor. He kissed her on the forehead and then the lips, and then whispered something in her ear. She laughed, and nodded, and he picked her up again, kissing her, and carried her to the bedroom.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for:  
> Sexual content  
> Force choking

Anakin hadn’t felt this nervous since he’d confessed his love to Padmé. He was trying not to think of all the things that could go wrong. For a while, now, he’d had certain ideas about how he and Obi-Wan could better spend their time together, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up. He didn’t want to taste disappointment.  
  
He was standing on the balcony of their shared rooms in the Temple, waiting for Obi-Wan to return from a meeting with the Council. All the comfort of being with Padmé had gone, leaving him with a sense of foreboding. Ahsoka had bumped into him on the way to his room, and she’d asked him what was wrong, but he couldn’t answer. She knew him well enough to leave him be, but offered to train with him later, if he was feeling up to it. A distracted part of his mind worried he was neglecting her, and he wanted to make time for her later, if he could. First, however, he had to get this out of the way.  
  
He sensed Obi-Wan before the man entered the room, and Anakin turned as the door slid open.  
  
“Anakin?” he said. “Is everything okay?”  
  
Anakin started towards him, then stopped, halfway between the sitting room and the balcony.  
  
“Anakin?”  
  
“I have something to tell you.”  
  
“What is it? Is everything okay?”  
  
Anakin pursed his lips, and looked away from Obi-Wan. “You might not like it,” he warned.  
  
“What did you do?”  
  
Anakin laughed, noticing the worry on Obi-Wan’s face. “It’s nothing like that,” he said. “It’s…” he moved forward, closing the gap between himself and Obi-Wan. He wanted to be much, much closer, but he didn’t want to startle or anger the other man. He lowered his eyes, and licked his lips. They stood, transfixed for a moment, then Obi-Wan cleared his throat.  
  
“Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to guess?”  
  
Anakin’s lips quirked in a smile. “You could guess,” he said. He took another step forward. Obi-Wan did not step back.  
  
Reaching out, Anakin placed his living hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. He pulled Obi-Wan closer, looking down into those beautiful blue-grey eyes. His other hand, he put gently on Obi-Wan’s waist. Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. “You want to dance?” he asked.  
  
“Something like that,” Anakin said, grinning. He ducked his head, planting a gentle kiss on Obi-Wan’s lips. He smiled as Obi-Wan’s lips parted beneath his, returning the kiss with surprising passion. Anakin snaked one hand around Obi-Wan’s waist, pulling him closer, tangling the fingers of his other hand in Obi-Wan’s hair. Obi-Wan grabbed at Anakin’s shoulders, making soft, desperate sounds that sent shivers through Anakin’s body.  
  
Then Obi-Wan stepped backwards, shaking his head.  
  
“Something wrong?” Anakin could still feel the pressure of Obi-Wan’s lips against his, and he couldn’t stop smiling. That had gone better than he’d anticipated.  
  
“We can’t do this, Anakin.”  
  
Anakin frowned, and crossed his arms. “Why not?”  
  
“It’s not… I’m a Master on the Council, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. He wouldn’t look Anakin in the eyes. “I can’t go around setting that… sort of example.”  
  
“No one has to know,” Anakin said softly. “We don’t have to tell others about this. About… us.”  
  
“And Padmé?”  
  
“She knows.”  
  
Obi-Wan looked at him.  
  
“You can’t tell me you don’t want this,” Anakin said. The fear was returning; fear that Obi-Wan would turn tail and run, fear that he would lose the man he loved so fiercely. “I need you, Obi-Wan. I _want_ you.” He stepped closer to Obi-Wan, carefully. “I’ve wanted you for so long, Obi-Wan. I know you want me too.”  
  
“Anakin,” there was a plea in Obi-Wan’s voice, a tone of desperation. “You have no idea.”  
  
Anakin moved closer, glancing from Obi-Wan’s eyes to his lips.  
  
There was no warning as Obi-Wan pounced on him, knocking him backwards as he grabbed at his tunic, pulling Anakin to him and kissing him on the throat, nipping at his skin. Anakin whined quietly as Obi-Wan licked his neck, then stood on his toes to kiss him. With his teeth, Obi-Wan tugged at Anakin’s lower lip, and Anakin moaned, grabbing Obi-Wan’s hips to pull him closer. Obi-Wan grabbed Anakin’s face in his hands, and kissed him until they were both panting, out of breath.  
  
Anakin could feel something hard against his leg, and he shifted slightly, earning a tortured groan. Anakin reached down between Obi-Wan’s legs and brushed his fingers lightly up his thigh. Through the fabric of his pants, Anakin stroked his fingers against Obi-Wan’s dick, and was rewarded with a shuddering moan. Obi-Wan stopped kissing, gasping for air, then looked directly into Anakin’s eyes. He had a hungry look on his face, a look Anakin had only seen glimpses of in the midst of battle.  
  
In a flash, Obi-Wan had unclasped Anakin’s belt and was pulling his tunic over his head. Anakin laughed, and his laughter caught in his throat as Obi-Wan attacked, pushing him onto the floor. He pinned Anakin by his shoulders, then ducked his head down to kiss him aggressively. He straddled Anakin’s lap, leaning back, putting just a little pressure on Anakin’s groin, enough so that Anakin had to bite his lip to muffle the sound of his pleasure.  
  
Obi-Wan grinned, predatory, and pinned Anakin with the Force, so he could take Anakin’s pants off. Anakin tried to sit up and help, but Obi-Wan kept him down. With a glance at Anakin’s face, he said, “You’re okay?”  
  
Anakin nodded.  
  
“Good,” said Obi-Wan, and spread Anakin’s legs. He ran one hand up Anakin’s thigh, the cool, smooth feeling of his fingers so different to anything Anakin had experienced before. Obi-Wan was stronger than Padmé, and wilder.  
  
His thoughts were dragged away from Padmé as Obi-Wan bit down on his inner thigh. Anakin cried out and clenched his fists in surprise. Obi-Wan snickered, and released the Force-pressure that was pinning him to the floor. Anakin propped himself up on his elbows and watched.  
  
Obi-Wan’s hair had fallen in that messy way that left Anakin feeling hot, and it was no less attractive now. He smiled at Anakin, then leaned down, trailing kisses across Anakin’s lower stomach. Anakin’s muscles clenched in anticipation, but Obi-Wan seemed determined to tease him. As Anakin tried to sit up further, Obi-Wan pushed at him gently with the Force, and Anakin smiled.  
  
“Come on,” he said, weakly.  
  
“Patience,” Obi-Wan chided, and his grin made Anakin’s heart flutter.  
  
Obi-Wan sat back, and Anakin swore at him. He sat there, his admiration for Anakin obvious on his face.  
  
“What are you waiting for?” Anakin asked.  
  
“Oh, nothing,” said Obi-Wan. He leaned forward, pushing Anakin back with his hands, and kissed him passionately. Then, he trailed his lips, licking, kissing, biting, down Anakin’s chest and stomach, before pausing a few inches from Anakin’s penis. Anakin closed his eyes and threw his head back, and so he only felt as Obi-Wan slowly drew his tongue up the length of his cock. He felt Obi-Wan’s hot breath, the wetness of his mouth suck gently on the tip of his cock, his hand closing around the rest of it.  
  
It surprised Anakin that Obi-Wan seemed to know what he was doing.  
  
He had no more time to think, as he felt Obi-Wan open his mouth wider and lower his head, forcing Anakin’s penis down his throat with a quiet gagging noise. Anakin’s eyes snapped open, and he looked down to see Obi-Wan’s face buried in his groin.  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head from side to side and Anakin moaned, enjoying the sound of Obi-Wan choking on his cock. He felt hot and electrical, his body tense with anticipation.  
  
Then, slowly, Obi-Wan bobbed his head, and Anakin could feel pressure on the head of his penis, a sensation that brought him close to the edge. Obi-Wan used his tongue to lick along Anakin’s dick, even as he pushed Anakin deeper into his mouth. Before Anakin could come, Obi-Wan drew back, taking Anakin’s cock in one hand and wiping his mouth with the other.  
  
He grabbed Anakin’s hair, to pull him into a kiss, and Anakin tasted himself in Obi-Wan’s mouth. He couldn’t help the little whimpers and moans that escaped him as Obi-Wan stroked him, slowly, teasing him with long kisses and gentle bites. Anakin, hands now free, started to undress Obi-Wan, unbuckling his belt and pulling off his tunic. He traced a finger across Obi-Wan’s collarbone, nudging his nose under Obi-Wan’s jaw to nibble at it gently. Obi-Wan took his hand away from Anakin’s penis and took his own pants off, throwing them across the room as Anakin nuzzled and kissed Obi-Wan’s neck.  
  
“Anakin,” Obi-Wan grunted the word, and Anakin felt excitement rush through him. He looked into Obi-Wan’s eyes.  
  
“What?” he asked, panting.  
  
“I… I want you.”  
  
Anakin nodded, leaning forward to kiss him, Obi-Wan’s mouth parting willingly against Anakin’s own. Then he sat back, smiling.  
  
“I love you,” he said, and Obi-Wan’s eyes widened.  
  
“I love you, too, Anakin,” Obi-Wan replied. “Now, uh, I’m not sure how to ask this but…” he paused, looking away. When he looked back, Anakin could see he’d made his mind up. “I need you to fuck me.”  
  
Anakin laughed, then pressed his forehead against Obi-Wan’s, running a hand down Obi-Wan’s back. “Of course I will,” he said. He kissed Obi-Wan on the nose, then reached down and ran his hand along Obi-Wan’s dick. Obi-Wan shuddered, grinning, and stood up.  
  
He held out his hand and pulled Anakin to his feet, and hand in hand they walked to Anakin’s room. Obi-Wan paused once to bite Anakin’s shoulders, and again to run his fingers down Anakin’s spine. As they entered the bedroom, Anakin grabbed Obi-Wan’s ass, and Obi-Wan jumped. Anakin laughed, and pushed Obi-Wan to the bed, turning him around so he fell onto his back. Anakin knelt on the floor and propped Obi-Wan’s legs on his shoulders, running his tongue up Obi-Wan’s cock. Then he smiled at Obi-Wan, and spread his ass cheeks, dipping his head to lick at Obi-Wan’s asshole. Obi-Wan cried out, and Anakin looked at him in askance. Obi-Wan nodded, saying, “Please,” in a desperate voice. Anakin took a moment to enjoy the fact that Obi-Wan needed him.  
  
He pushed his nose against Obi-Wan, licking at his asshole in vertical strokes, slowly, then quickly, as he listened to Obi-Wan shouting and moaning. He made small circles with his tongue, parting Obi-Wan’s cheeks with two fingers and darting his tongue in and out. He sucked at it gently, kissing and stroking with a finger.  
  
Anakin pulled away, and made a quick trip to the ‘fresher, leaving Obi-Wan panting on the bed. Although Obi-Wan was meticulously clean, Anakin took a moment to wash his mouth out. Then he grabbed his bottle of lubricant before running back into the room.  
  
Obi-Wan was stroking himself, his eyes shut. Anakin used the Force to bat Obi-Wan’s hands away, pinning them to the bed above his head. Obi-Wan looked at him and said, “I thought you’d never come back.”  
  
“You couldn’t even wait two minutes!” Anakin said, grinning. He grabbed Obi-Wan’s thighs and bent forward to kiss him, then poured a generous amount of lubricant into his hand. Keeping Obi-Wan pinned, he made him watch as he stroked his own cock, slowly, coating it in lube. Obi-Wan bit his lip, watching Anakin, his impatience clear on his face.  
  
Anakin wet his fingers and brushed two against Obi-Wan’s asshole, circling his fingers around in smaller and smaller movements until he slid one inside. Obi-Wan gasped. Anakin slid another finger in, then crooked his fingers upwards, towards himself, and Obi-Wan cried out, grabbing the sheets of Anakin’s bed.  
  
“You’re noisy,” Anakin said. When Anakin had sex, he was quiet, internal, and Padmé would stop often to make sure Anakin was still enjoying himself. He loved how gentle she could be, despite being so fierce, but he was enjoying Obi-Wan’s roughness more than he’d expected.  
  
Obi-Wan was expressive. Anakin wondered if Padmé would be interested in trying him out for herself. The thought gave him a rush, and he parted his fingers, opening Obi-Wan’s ass and causing the man to shout his name. If he was this noisy, at this level, Anakin couldn’t wait to see what would happen when he entered him. Still, Anakin knew he should be gentle, especially if it was Obi-Wan’s first time. Obi-Wan had definitely given a blowjob before, but that didn’t mean he’d had sex like this.  
  
Anakin kept his fingers inside Obi-Wan as he pushed the head of his penis into Obi-Wan's ass, then slid his fingers out. Obi-Wan moaned as Anakin pulled out, then pushed his cock against his ass again. His cock slid in slowly, Anakin guiding it with his hand, keeping Obi-Wan pinned to the bed to torment him how he’d tormented Anakin.  
  
“Anakin!”  
  
Obi-Wan shouting his name made his stomach clench, and he put his hands on Obi-Wan’s hips and pushed himself deeper. Obi-Wan cried out, and Anakin pulled him into a sitting position, using the Force to draw him closer so they could kiss. As he did that, he sank deeper into Obi-Wan, groaning with the pleasure of how tight and willing he was. Anakin pulled back a little, and thrust forward, clutching at Obi-Wan’s back, and wrapping his other arm around Obi-Wan’s waist. Obi-Wan grabbed at Anakin’s hips and ass, scratching at him in a desperate attempt to pull Anakin closer, and as Anakin thrust again and again Obi-Wan cried out, moaning and calling his name, “Anakin, Anakin, _Anakin!_ ”  
  
Anakin pressed his face against Obi-Wan’s shoulder, moving his hips back and forth and whimpering with pleasure. With a spare hand he reached down and took hold of Obi-Wan’s cock. He stroked upwards, then let go, and cupped Obi-Wan’s balls gently in his hand. He ran his fingers lightly over them, then ran two fingers up his dick, and circled the tip of it with his thumb. He bit down hard on Obi-Wan's shoulder, and Obi-Wan cried out in pleasure.  
  
Anakin grabbed at Obi-Wan’s hips and thrust into him, letting Obi-Wan take care of himself while he concentrated on building a rhythm – back and forth, rocking his hips and clutching Obi-Wan closer to him. A passionate need to be as close as they could be flooded their Force-bond, both men wanting so much to be as one, to lose himself in the other man.  
  
Obi-Wan scratched Anakin’s back, shuddering with Anakin’s movements, wrapping his legs around Anakin’s hips. Anakin lifted him from the bed and held onto him, supporting him as Obi-Wan clung on. He built speed as he bounced Obi-Wan on his cock, moaning with the sensation, his whole body electrified, trembling with the effort and excitement as Obi-Wan groaned and shouted and clawed at him.  
  
They were both panting heavily as Anakin lifted Obi-Wan and threw him onto the bed, crawling after him, his hair falling loosely, grinning as he pressed his hand against Obi-Wan’s firm stomach. He ran his hand up Obi-Wan’s chest, and pinched at his nipple, causing Obi-Wan to yelp. Taking Obi-Wan’s hips in his hands, he gently pulled Obi-Wan back onto his cock.  
  
Leaning over Obi-Wan, he kissed him, then rocked his hips forward, biting his lips as he drew loud, shuddering moans from Obi-Wan.  
  
In the excitement, he clenched his fists, grabbing at the bed sheets, and Obi-Wan made a choking noise. Anakin released him quickly, horrified, but Obi-Wan looked up at him, and said, “Oh, keep doing that, Anakin, that was good, please, _please_ choke me.”  
  
“What if I hurt you?”  
  
“I won’t let you.”  
  
As Anakin rocked his hips back and forth, he clenched his fists and concentrated. He could feel the power of the Force as he pushed it against Obi-Wan’s neck, taking a wicked pleasure of his own from the pain he sensed in the other man.  
  
Obi-Wan gasped a strangled, “Anakin,” and closed his eyes, grunting as Anakin pounded into him. Anakin knew that Obi-Wan was enjoying himself – he could feel Obi-Wan’s satisfaction in their bond, and it became his own.  
  
He sped up, releasing Obi-Wan from the Force-choke, gripping his shoulders as he cried out, the rapturous sensation building to almost painful levels between the two of them. For the first time Anakin spoke Obi-Wan’s name, closing his eyes and clenching his jaw as he came.  
  
Anakin had a quiet release. A burst of pleasure and then a shudder, leaning his forehead against Obi-Wan’s chest as he caught his breath, grinning and trembling. Obi-Wan shouted Anakin’s name, swearing, clutching at the sheets and shaking the room with a burst of Force energy that Anakin felt in his bones. There was a pool of come on his stomach, and his hips twitched as he finished. Anakin pulled out, kissing Obi-Wan passionately, then helped him to his feet with a laugh.  
  
“You’re a mess,” he said. “Come on.” Holding onto Obi-Wan’s hand, they walked to the ‘fresher and ran the shower. After taking his mechanical hand off, and putting it to one side, Anakin pushed Obi-Wan against the wall, kissing him again.  
  
“We’ll slip and fall, Anakin,” Obi-Wan chided.  
  
“You look so…” Anakin grinned, looking Obi-Wan up and down. He grunted, and said, “So _good_. Why didn’t we do this before?”  
  
“You know why, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, but he was smiling. He kissed Anakin gently, then said, “Let me shower. I’m supposed to be meeting with Master Windu about half an hour.” He turned to stand under the stream of water, and Anakin kissed the back of his neck, hugging him from behind. Resting his chin on Obi-Wan’s shoulder, he said, “So… we’re together, now, aren’t we?”  
  
Obi-Wan took Anakin’s hand in his own, and kissed it gently on the palm. With his other hand, he gently massaged the scars on Anakin’s arm. Turning his head slightly, he kissed Anakin on the cheek, then the lips, and then said, “Yes, Anakin. Yes we are.”


	14. Chapter 14

Anakin had been happy for days. Nearly a week, by his count. Ahsoka had, of course, figured out that Anakin and Obi-Wan were together, and had teased Anakin whenever she got the chance. Padmé, Obi-Wan and Anakin had managed to find time to go on one date, in the Coruscant Underworld where no one would recognise them. Anakin and Obi-Wan were both making an effort to tell each other everything.  
  
Anakin, for the first time in a long time, felt secure. He wasn’t sure if it would last, but something in his relationships with both Padmé and Obi-Wan had changed. There was more trust, and he felt more capable of telling them the things he needed to tell them.  
  
He hadn’t spoken with the Chancellor since the crisis on Naboo, and he hadn’t felt as if he needed to. He still feared that the Jedi would find out, still feared that he would lose everything, but he had something that felt like family, for the first time since he was taken from Shmi. He knew that whatever happened, whatever he had to face, he would face it with his loved ones. He wasn’t going to let that get taken from him.


End file.
